With its quiet roads amidst fields of lavender, fine wines to taste, and wonderful food to eat, the Provence region of France is heaven on earth for the itinerant cyclist. Beginning in the village of Vaison la Romaine, we will cycle routes that will include the region’s market towns, wine-making villages and medieval cities. We’ll taste wine in centuries old caves, see Roman antiquities, visit hill-top castles steeped in history and stroll markets at L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue and others. We’ve been coming here for 20 years and can say there are few places as welcoming to those on a bicycle as this enchanting area of France.
Only Great Explorations:
- Small groups, extraordinary guides, and authentic experiences
- A ride you will never forget: cycling the wine route through Seguret, Gigondas and Vacqueras
- Order off the menu at restaurants you won’t find in guidebooks
- Distinctive, charming hotels too small for larger groups
- We design and operate our own trips so there are only good surprises
Trip Reviews
“France was our third trip with GE. We find the guides have always been well informed, fun to be around, and have excellent local knowledge. The hotels and restaurants are always unique and interesting, something we probably would not find on our own. We liked the wine tastings and the nougat (candy) factory. Everyone enjoyed the rides through small towns and villages; the unique hotels and the fantastic food. It is an “overall” experience that all of our kids love.”
“The guides definitely exceeded my expectations. I love France and everything about it. Wine tastings were awesome. Really loved the cold drinks and snacks offered at stops and at the end of the riding day – small detail but very much appreciated! My bike was off the charts and the geometry suited me perfectly!! That bike was so light, it basically rode itself.”
“All of our guides were incredible. I would love to do another trip with all of them. They were fun, professional and dealt with all of our questions and concerns so well. I can’t say enough good things about them.”
“Excellent guides, great value for money, nice touches. Loved the riding. Amazing road conditions (pavement was like butter for the most part) and GORGEOUS sights. The guides were outstanding and amazing at pivoting and adapting to our many (varied) requests from those who wanted longer, harder rides to those looking for something easier. There were more options than our last trip, and people appreciated it. All the accommodations were terrific in their own way. The van was always available and a welcome sight during/after a tough ride with plentiful snacks, nourishment and fixes. Our guides were what made this trip truly special. They were attentive, knowledgeable, responsive, PATIENT, helpful and FUN!”
“Great cycling trip. We especially liked the challenge of climbing Mt Ventoux and the incredible Gorges de la Nesque ride! We loved visiting the L’Ilse sur la Sorgue market to pick up provisions for our picnic at Fontaine de Vaucluse, a very unique spot beside the river with towering limestone cliffs. The countryside in Provence is lovely. Nice quiet roads, lovely weather and good mix of terrain. We really enjoyed the Ochre trail in Roussillon, the wine tasting at Domaine de la Citadelle near Gordes and the guided tour in Vaison-la-Romaine with a young guide who was very sweet (it was her first time doing an English tour). The room in Chateau de Mazan exceeded my expectations. In terms of dinner, the Bartadelle in Vaison was my husband’s favorite as he had his three best dishes and the one in Mazan at Le Ventoux was mine. Amazing Tarte aux Pommes. Since we were on a private tour, we followed our guides directions. RideWithGPS app is very useful. In terms of riding, we usually did the full routes and they were great. Very good bikes! Vehicle support was very good. We appreciated our Travel Advisor putting this trip together for us on short notice and her recommendations for Corsica. Our guide exceeded all our expectations!”
“We could not have been more delighted. Guides were exceptional (Veronika, Adrian, Gabriel). Route, hotels, restaurants also perfect. Rides were perfect. Did a great job of having something for everyone. Bikes were excellent. It was nice that they were set up with gearing to make the climbs more palatable. We loved the cheese shop & wine tasting in Vaison la Romaine. We have ridden with Great Explorations multiple times in the last few years, and each trip was wonderful. We wanted to do a private trip with friends to celebrate my 60th birthday, and there was no question that we wanted to do it with Great Explorations. They were extremely helpful in helping us pick the destination and planning all the details. Also extremely flexible in accommodating our ideas.”
“Spectacular scenery, perfect weather, fantastic food and accommodations.”
Best trip ever! Scenery, cycling, food, accommodation and the people. Planning my next trip!!
Overall I would rank it up with one of the best trips we have ever had, everything from the hotels, food, destinations, equipment, guide were all top shelf. We can’t wait to do another one!!!
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